Behind the Scenes with… MS Society

Over 100,000 people in the UK are living with Multiple sclerosis (MS). Copperdollar Studios was honoured to host MS Society to use the space recently to film for their campaign ‘MS Active Together’. With brilliant charities like MS Society, information is being circulated about the illness and support is being provided. Laura, MS Society’s yoga instructor who is diagnosed with MS, is filmed doing demonstrations for those looking to keep active alongside the illness. You can watch the videos below and donate to fund their crucial research.

Could you tell us about MS Society and what it does?

We’re the UK largest MS charity. We’re a community of people living with MS, researchers, fundraisers, campaigners and volunteers. We use our experience, expertise and voices to drive change and help people with more positively with MS.

We provide care, share support, collectively campaign and commission life-changing research. We know together we’re strong enough to stop MS. And we’re working hard to make it happen.

What is multiple sclerosis and how many people does it affect in the UK?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition that affects your brain and spinal cord. In MS, the coating that protects your nerves (myelin) is damaged. This causes a range of symptoms like blurred vision and problems with how we move think and feel. Once diagnosed, MS stays with you for life, but treatments and specialists can help you to manage the condition and its symptoms.

More than 100,000 people in the UK have MS. In the UK people are most likely to find out they have MS in their thirties, forties and fifties. But the first signs of MS often start years earlier. Many people notice their first symptoms years before they get their diagnosis.

Can you tell us a little bit about the project you’ve worked in recently at Copperdollar Studios?

We run a yearly campaign called MS Active Together. The objective and focus of the campaign are to promote physical activity to people with MS and to develop a wide range of content so that everyone can find something that suits them and their MS. This year we are launching Yoga for MS. Our Yoga instructor, Laura, who has MS, lives in Brighton. Therefore we were looking for a studio local to her.

We visited a few places but Copperdollar Studios automatically stood out. The feel and look were different and seemed to be a perfect fit for the tone of our videos. The venue is accessible, which is key for us, and the décor is perfect.

Why did the space suit this particular shoot you were doing?

As mentioned, we loved the vibe and atmosphere. We managed to create a zen, yoga trendy look and feel. To be honest, the wooden and brick walls did it for us! We then just added a few props to dress the set. The soundproofing was great, you hear your random plane or a dog barking, but as it is a quiet street, it wasn’t too bad. The location of the venue was perfect!

Yoga can be so beneficial to both the mind and the body. How does practicing yoga help people with multiple sclerosis?

The general health benefits of yoga are well known, but research shows that in people with MS specifically, it can improve mood, mobility and muscle strength. Physical activity can also play a key role in helping people manage challenging symptoms like fatigue, balance problems and muscle spasms.

What other activities can be beneficial for those with MS?

Research shows that exercise can help people with MS manage challenging symptoms like fatigue, balance problems and muscle spasms. But we know that many people with MS face barriers when trying to take part in regular exercise, like fluctuating and unpredictable symptoms and not having access to appropriate exercise facilities.

MS Active Together is all about raising awareness of the benefits of physical activity for people with MS as well as encouraging and making it easier for people to take the first step in getting active.

Any type of activity could be beneficial, but the key is for anyone to listen to themselves.

How can people support MS Society

Please visit our website if you’d like to donate, fundraise or support us in any way.